Advance photo/Tevah PlattResidents of Wales Place and Bard Avenue frequently deal with seasonal flooding problems, due to nearby creeks.

LIVINGSTON -- Residents of Wales Place and Bard Avenue have a heap of concerns over the recent construction of a row of single-family homes in an area already notorious for seasonal flooding problems.

The 2007 sale of a wooded lot immediately worried some residents of Livingston, who watched three near-identical houses and a new stretch of road crop up to extend Wales Place amidst elegant older homes with leafy yards.

Residents on the quiet, east side of Wales had originally fretted they would lose their dead end, but they ended up getting their way: The old and new sections of Wales now stand bisected by the creek that flows into the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, and draws fish, frogs and eels in the summertime.

But some neighbors feel certain that the new construction could drastically worsen flooding problems, particularly on the north side of Wales, where yards are said to become "swimming pools" during hard rains.

A retaining wall built at the end of the new side of Wales may protect the new, adjacent home at 31 Wales Place from creek overflow, but two weeks ago, the Department of Buildings issued the Yamit Home Builders a violation for insufficient grading on the south side of the street.

Neighbors also bemoaned the sudden removal of trees on the south side of Wales, which they claim may have helped mitigate past flooding problems by soaking up some of the rain water. Builders also reportedly chopped down a flowering hibiscus that may have been on a neighbor's private property.

The Buildings Department formally dismissed a complaint over the removal of trees, noting the developers did have permits to remove four trees in the path of the new road.

Inspectors had also previously dismissed several complaints concerning run-off into the stream.

But a spokesperson for the Parks Department said last week that a tree was removed from the site without a permit, and that the department is in the process of "evaluating and seeking restitution."

And one neighbor following the development closely believes the builder knowingly disregarded a specific order from Parks not to chop down the trees.

Although penalties are seldom so severe, removing a tree without a permit can be a serious offense, punishable by fines of up to $15,000 and/or imprisonment up to one year, according to the city's Web site.

Residents along Bard are also uncertain whether builders consider the new road to be finished, since one side appears to be ungraded and small piles of resin-like tar pitch were dumped several weeks ago onto a neighboring yard.

"The builders have no regard for the environment nor keeping the building in line with the aesthetics of the neighborhood," said a Livingston resident. ".¤.¤.Now that they are letting potentially contaminated rain water flow into the stream, they should be penalized."

"My main concern is that they don't fit into the neighborhood," said Carmella Jichetti, a resident of Bard Avenue whose property would not be affected by flooding. "These are cookie-cutter homes. They are an eyesore. The builder did nothing to integrate these homes into the existing character of the neighborhood, and they removed large trees that have been there for decades. They left a barren hole in the landscape of Bard Avenue."

Livingston residents have approached the Buildings Department, Parks Department, Community Board 1, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the city's Department of Environmental Protection and the office of Congressman Michael McMahon with their concerns.

The owner of the properties listed on the building permit applications recently changed from Gregory Farinacci to Ely Reiss. Reiss did not respond to a phone message left by an Advance reporter seeking comment.

The new homes at 31, 35 and 39 Wales are currently on the market with list prices between $525,900 and $549,900.